You are here: 小蓝视频 Centers Latin American and Latino Studies Affiliated Faculty

group of faculty mingling

More than 80 researchers and instructors at 小蓝视频 focus their work in large measure on Latin America and/or Latino populations residing in the United States, and President Sylvia Burwell and Provost Peter Starr have identified Latin American and Latino Studies as a top priority for expansion during the years ahead. As a campus-wide Center, CLALS draws on scholarship and training activities undertaken in all of the university's Schools and Colleges. Please explore the profiles of our affiliate faculty; affiliates in the Washington College of Law are listed separately.

Last name starts with A

Rob Albro Research Associate Professor URC | Center for Latin American & Latino Studies

Trained in sociocultural anthropology, Dr. Robert Albro has maintained a long-term ethnographic focus on urban and indigenous politics in Bolivia. He is also an expert on Latin American social and ind

albro@american.edu

(202) 885-6174

Patricia Aufderheide University Professor SOC | Communication Studies

Patricia Aufderheide is University Professor of Communication Studies in the School of Communication at 小蓝视频 in Washington, D.C. She founded the School's Center for Media & Social Impac

paufder@american.edu

(202) 885-2069

Last name starts with B

Horace Bartilow Professor SIS | Environment, Development & Health

Horace A. Bartilow is Professor of International Political Economy and American Foreign Policy. He is a Jamaican born social scientist who received his Ph.D. in 1994 from the State University of New Y

bartilow@american.edu

Fernando Benadon Professor CAS | Performing Arts

I am a composer and music theorist originally from Buenos Aires. Currently I am working on a book about harmonic progressions and compositional process in Quiet Storm music. I have released two albums

fernando@american.edu

(202) 885-3452

Richard Bennett Prof Emeritus

Professor Bennett's research interests include comparative criminology and criminal justice as well as police organization and procedures. He has published extensively in the area of cross-national cr

bennett@american.edu

(202) 885-2956

Kim Blankenship Associate Dean of Research, CAS CAS | Sociology

Kim M. Blankenship, PhD, is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Sociology, Founding Director of the Center on Health, Risk and Society (housed in the department of sociology), Associate Dean

blankens@american.edu

(202) 885-6211

Robert A. Blecker Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Blecker鈥檚 research interests include international trade, open economy macroeconomics, global trade imbalances, economic integration in North America, the Mexican economy, the limits to expo

blecker@american.edu

(202) 885-3767

Philip Brenner Prof Emeritus

Dr. Philip Brenner has published widely on U.S./Cuba relations, U.S./Latin American relations, contemporary U.S. foreign policy, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. His most recent book is Cuba Libre: A

(202) 885-1605

Robin Broad Research Professor-in-Residence SIS | Finance & Personnel Administration

Dr. Robin Broad, Professor of International Development, established and heads SIS鈥檚 International Development Program鈥檚 two unique professional tracks: Rethinking Globalization & Development, and Env

rbroad@american.edu

(202) 885-1478

Last name starts with C

Marcy Campos CAS | Critical RGC Studies

Marcy Fink Campos joined 小蓝视频鈥檚 Center for Community Engagement & Service in 2004. As Director, she oversees all office programs and serves as the liaison to the Office of Campus Life, Academic Affairs,

mfcampos@american.edu

(202) 885-1551

Anny Cardenas Assistant Professor CAS | Biology

Dr. C谩rdenas is a microbial ecologist interested in microbiome research. Her research has focused on understanding the diversity and function of microbial communities associated with corals and other

acardenas@american.edu

Elizabeth Cohn Assistant Professor SIS | Foreign Policy & Global Security

Dr. Elizabeth Cohn is an Assistant Professor specializing in U.S. foreign policy and Latin America. Her research interests include the U.S. promotion of democracy and Latin America. She is also deeply

ecohn@american.edu

Ken Conca Professor SIS | Environment, Development & Health

Dr. Ken Conca鈥檚 research and teaching focus on global environmental governance, environmental peacebuilding in war-torn societies, environmental politics and policy in the United Nations system, water

conca@american.edu

(202) 885-6391

Last name starts with D

Maria De Jesus Professor SIS | Environment, Development & Health

Dr. Maria De Jesus brings to 小蓝视频 a wealth of research and teaching experiences in the area of global health, a critical area of focus in interstate and transnational relations. Her research focuses on

dejesus@american.edu

Molly Dondero Associate Professor CAS | Sociology

Molly Dondero is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology. Her research focuses on how immigration, race/ethnicity, social class, and place contribute to population-level inequality in he

dondero@american.edu

(202) 885-1492

Frank DuBois Associate Professor KSB | Information Technology & Analytics

Professor DuBois is Associate Professor of International Business and Chair of the International Business Department. His research focus is in global supply chain management, customs facilitation, cou

fdubois@american.edu

(202) 885-1967

Last name starts with E

Todd Eisenstadt Professor, Research Director of CEP SPA | Government

Professor Eisenstadt serves as research director of the Center for Environmental Policy (CEP). He has worked on six continents, publishing multiple award-winning books and dozens of articles on climat

eisensta@american.edu

(202) 885-6493

Heather Elms Associate Professor KSB | Management

Heather Elms, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Management at the Kogod School of Business, 小蓝视频, Washington, DC. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in business ethics, busine

elms@american.edu

(202) 885-1965

Noemi Enchautegui de Jesus Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Psychology

Dr. Enchautegui-de-Jesus received her MA and PhD in Community Psychology from New York University. She was a postdoctoral fellow with the NIMH鈥檚 Family Research Consortium III at the University of Mic

enchaute@american.edu

(202) 885-1773

Larry Engel Associate Professor SOC | Film & Media Arts

With nearly 50 years of teaching and filmmaking, and 350 projects, his documentaries appear on PBS, the Discovery Channels, and National Geographic, among many other outlets. Awards include a Daytime

engel@american.edu

(202) 885-2688

Daniel Esser Associate Professor SIS | Global Inquiry

Last name starts with F

Eileen Findlay Professor and Department Chair, Critical RGC Studies CAS | Critical RGC Studies

Eileen Findlay graduated from Oberlin College and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she held a Jacob Javits fellowship. Both her books, 'We Are Left Without a Father Here': Masculinity, Dome

efindla@american.edu

(202) 885-6264

Anthony Fontes Associate Professor SIS | Peace, Human Rights & Cultural Relations

Anthony W. Fontes, geographer and ethnographer, writes and teaches about violence, migration and forced displacement, transnational illicit economies, mass incarceration, and the politics of security

awfontes@american.edu

(202) 885-6704

Scott Freeman Assistant Professor SIS | Environment, Development & Health

Dr. Scott Freeman is an anthropologist whose work is at the intersection of the anthropology of the environment, critical development studies, and the anthropology of labor in Haiti and the Dominican

freeman@american.edu

(202) 885-6685

Max Paul Friedman Professor CAS | History

Max Paul Friedman joined the History Department at 小蓝视频 in 2007 and holds a joint appointment as Professor of International Relations in the School of International Service. From July 2

friedman@american.edu

(202) 885-2613

Last name starts with G

Carolyn Gallaher Professor SIS | Peace, Human Rights & Cultural Relations

I do research in two distinct areas鈥攐rganized violence by non-state actors and urban politicsIn the first area, on which I have spent more time, I examine the politics, internal dynamics, and patterns

caroleg@american.edu

Bill Gentile Journalist in Residence SOC | Film & Media Arts

Bill Gentile is the author of, 鈥淲ait for Me: True Stories of War, Love and Rock & Roll,鈥 his memoir and crown jewel of a career as independent journalist and documentary filmmaker whose work spans fou

gentile@american.edu

(202) 885-2663

Brett Gilbert Associate Professor KSB | Management

Dr. Gilbert is the inaugural Kogod Regional Innovation Chair and associate professor (with tenure). Her research spans economic geography, internationalization and performance streams of literature. C

bgilbert@american.edu

Agustina Giraudy Professor SIS | Politics, Governance & Economics

Professor Giraudy's book, Democrats and Autocrats (Oxford University Press, 2015), explores the multiple pathways towards subnational undemocratic regime continuity within democratized countrie

giraudy@american.edu

Louis Goodman Professor and Dean Emeritus, SIS SIS | Environment, Development & Health

Louis Goodman carries out research on social change and politics in Latin America and in Asia. His current research focuses on public goods, regional alliances and development. He has published widely

goodman@american.edu

(202) 885-1625

Garrett Graddy-Lovelace Provost Associate Professor SIS | Environment, Development & Health

Garrett Graddy-Lovelace researches and teaches agricultural policy and agrarian geography. Her work focuses on domestic and international contexts and impacts of US food and farm policy--from subsidiz

graddy@american.edu

Ludy Grandas Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | World Languages and Cultures

Ludy Grandas鈥 research interests include issues of national identity in Latin America and in the Hispanic communities in the U.S. Her teaching interests include the Studies of Culture in Latin America

grandas@american.edu

(202) 885-2434

Sonya Grier Professor KSB | Marketing

Professor Grier is an interdisciplinary scholar with diverse expertise across private, government, and non-profit sectors. Her research examines marketplace topics related to race, with a focus on enh

sonya.grier@american.edu

(202) 885-1971

Last name starts with H

Austin Hart Associate Professor SIS | Politics, Governance & Economics

Austin Hart is a political scientist who studies democratic accountability through the lens of voting behavior. He is especially interested in how our attitudes about politics form and change over

ahart@american.edu

(202) 885-1640

Eric Hershberg Prof Emeritus

Eric Hershberg is a professor of government at 小蓝视频, where he served as Founding Director of the university-wide Center for Latin American and Latino Studies from 2010-2022. From 2007-2

hershber@american.edu

(202) 885-6172

Last name starts with I

Janice Iwama Associate Professor SPA | Justice, Law & Criminology

Dr. Janice Iwama is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at 小蓝视频 in Washington, D.C. She received her Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Nort

iwama@american.edu

(202) 885-3004

Last name starts with K

K. L. Knee Associate Professor and Department Chair, Environmental Science CAS | Environmental Science

My research is centered around two main themes: (1) understanding how human activities like oil and gas extraction, mining, agriculture, and urban development affect water quality, and (2) using the n

knee@american.edu

(202) 885-1093

Alan Kraut Distinguished Professor CAS | History

Alan M. Kraut is University Professor of History at 小蓝视频 and a non-resident fellow of the Migration Policy Institute. Specializing in immigration and ethnic history and the history of m

akraut@american.edu

(202) 885-2410

Last name starts with L

Last name starts with M

Eric Macias Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Eric Macias (He/Him/El) is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work focuses on minoritized and illegalized youth who have been pushed-out of the educational pipeline. Dr. Macias received his PhD from t

emacias@american.edu

Juliana Martinez Associate Professor CAS | World Languages and Cultures

Professor Mart铆nez focuses on the intersection of violence and body politics in Latin America. Her two main areas of research are: representation of historical violence recent cultural production; and

jmartinez@american.edu

(202) 885-2586

Sarah Menke-Fish Assistant Professor and Senior Director of Experiential Learning SOC | Film & Media Arts

Sarah Menke-Fish is a full-time professor of Film and Media Arts. She serves as Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning and Associate Director for the Center for Environmental Filmmaking. Menke-Fish l

smenke@american.edu

(202) 885-2026

Last name starts with O

Amy Oliver Associate Professor Emerita

Professor Oliver's teaching and research on Latin America explore philosophical topics such as marginality, feminism, nepantlismo, and transfronterismo. She works on the Hispanic ess

aoliver@american.edu

(202) 885-2140

Last name starts with P

Randolph Persaud Prof Emeritus

Randolph B. Persaud is Associate Professor of International Relations at 小蓝视频 in Washington D.C. He specializes in the areas of race and international relations, globalization, human se

Jennifer Poole Associate Professor SIS | Politics, Governance & Economics

Professor Poole鈥檚 research and teaching interests fall at the intersection of international trade, labor economics, and development economics. With an emphasis on Brazil, her broad research agenda con

poole@american.edu

(202) 885-6689

Last name starts with R

Jeffrey Romero Middents Associate Professor CAS | Literature

Jeffrey Romero Middents studies and teaches film and world literature at 小蓝视频 in Washington, DC, specifically focusing on Latin American narratives from the 1960s to the present. His sc

middents@american.edu

(202) 885-2979

Last name starts with S

Cathy Lisa Schneider Professor Emerita

Professor Schneider teaches and writes on democracy, dictatorship and resistance; comparative social movements; collective violence; racial profiling, police violence and racial and ethnic discriminat

cschnei@american.edu

(202) 885-1666

Chuck Sturtevant Professorial Lecturer CAS | Anthropology

Chuck Sturtevant is a political anthropolgist with research and teaching experience in indigenous studies, Latin American studies, and Latina/o/ studies. Filmmaking was my gateway to academic research

sturteva@american.edu

Last name starts with T

Matthew Taylor Professor SIS | Politics, Governance & Economics

Matthew Taylor is Professor of International Studies at the School of International Service.Taylor is the author or editor of five books and more than fifty articles on Latin America. His most recent

mtaylor@american.edu

Amelia Tseng Assistant Professor CAS | World Languages and Cultures

Dr. Amelia Tseng is Assistant Professor in Spanish and Linguistics. Her research addresses how language shapes and is shaped by identity across immigrant generations in Latinx diasporic contexts, focu

tseng@american.edu

Last name starts with V

Ali Valenzuela Associate Professor SPA | Government

Ali is an expert on American politics, with a focus on Latino/a/x attitudes and voting behavior, demographic change and its political consequences, race and racism in politics, voter turnout, and surv

alival@american.edu

(202) 885-6176

Ximena Varela Associate Professor CAS | Performing Arts

Ximena Varela is a researcher, educator, and consultant with more than 25 years of experience in arts management curricular design (both on campus and online), museum management, international cultura

varela@american.edu

(202) 885-3883

David Vazquez Associate Professor Literature and CRGC, Program Director of Latinx Studies CAS | Critical RGC Studies

David J. V谩zquez is Associate Professor of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies and Director of the Latina/o/x Studies Program. He teaches courses on comparative Latina/o/x literature and cultur

dvazquez@american.edu

Charly Verstraet Assistant Professor CAS | World Languages and Cultures

Charly Verstraet's research and teaching interests include Caribbean and Indian Ocean Studies, Environmental Studies, Graphic Novels, Soccer and Politics, and Translation. His co-translation of award-

verstrae@american.edu

Salvador Vidal-Ortiz Associate Professor CAS | Sociology

Dr. Vidal-Ortiz's scholarship cuts across racialization, sexuality, gender, migration and religion; his work is interdisciplinary. He coedited two award winning books:

vidalort@american.edu

(202) 885-2443

Nuria Vilanova Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor CAS | World Languages and Cultures

N煤ria Vilanova teaches Latin American Culture, Literature and Cinema. Her research is devoted to the impact of social change and migration on cultural production. She works on textual and cinematic na

vilanova@american.edu

(202) 885-2393

Last name starts with W

Earl Anthony Wayne Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer and Distinguished Diplomat in Residence SIS | Foreign Policy & Global Security

In addition to his role at 小蓝视频, Wayne is a Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Co-Chair of its Mexico Institute Advisory Board. He is a member of the Board

eawayne@american.edu

Brenda Werth Associate Professor and Department Chair, World Languages & Cultures CAS | World Languages and Cultures

Brenda Werth鈥檚 research interests include Latin American theater, performance, documentary film, memory studies, human rights, gender, social movements, and translation. She teaches courses on Latin A

werth@american.edu

(202) 885-1449

Last name starts with Y

Nina Yamanis Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Education, SIS SIS | Environment, Development & Health

Dr. Nina Yamanis studies how social and structural determinants are linked to health disparities globally and locally, and designs community-based interventions to reduce these disparities. She has wo

yamanis@american.edu

(202) 885-6562

Gay Young Prof Emerita

(Gloria A.) Gay Young has a longstanding focus on gender and development (GAD) which has led her to study a range of issues, including the nature and consequences of women鈥檚 labor force participation

gyoung@american.edu